Natural Resources Management and Policy Commons^™

Rewilding The Built Environment: Navigating Economic, Political, And Social Barriers To Urban Ecological Restoration, Carly E. Smith

PANDION: The Osprey Journal of Research and Ideas

Urban rewilding offers a nature-based approach to restoring ecological processes in cities while advancing climate resilience, biodiversity, and public well-being. Unlike conventional green infrastructure, rewilding allows ecosystems to develop with minimal intervention, emphasizing succession, complexity, and long-term adaptability. This paper examines the political, economic, and social factors that frame how rewilding is understood and implemented in urban planning. Governmental frameworks often prioritize order, predictability, and short-term results, making it difficult to accommodate the uncertainty and ecological complexity that rewilding requires. Economic models struggle to capture its long-term value, frequently overlooking ecosystem services or reconciling competing land uses. Social perceptions of …

A Guide To Breaking Seed Dormancy Of Common Wetland Plant Species, Samantha R. Kurkowski, Rae Robinson, Sandra E. Johnston, Montana M. Horchler, Adrienne E. Ernst, Margaret D. Haney, Karin M. Kettenring

All Current Publications

This guide was developed from a series of seed dormancy break and germination experiments conducted over 4 years with 41 species. The purpose of this guide is to synthesize the information we learned through these experiments and present the findings for those interested in breaking seed dormancy, such as land managers, restoration practitioners, and wetland researchers. Ultimately, we hope this guidance catalyzes further wetland restoration throughout the Intermountain West.

Resource Assessment Report No. 5: West Coast Deep Sea Crustacean Resource 2024 Assessment, Emma-Jade Tuffley, Simon De Lestang

Resource Assessment Reports

The West Coast Deep Sea Crustacean resource consists of crystal crab (snow) (Chaceon albus), champagne crab (spiny) (Hypothalassia acerba) and giant crab (Pseudocarcinus gigas). The resource is mainly accessed by the commercial West Coast Deep Sea Crustacean Managed Fishery (WCDSCMF), which primarily targets crystal crabs. The West Coast Rock Lobster Managed Fishery (WCRLMF) also retains a small amount of champagne crabs as byproduct of deep-water rock lobster fishing. The WCDSCMF is a pot-based fishery using baited pots operated in a long-line formation in shelf edge waters ( > 150 m in depth) off the West …

Procedures For Rangeland Condition Assessment In The Pilbara And Southern Rangelands 2025, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources published reports

This report defines the procedures used in 2025 by DPIRD to complete rangeland condition assessment (RCA) in the Pilbara and southern rangelands region which has predominantly shrub-based pastures. For the rest of the pastoral estate, DPIRD uses the Procedures for RCA in the Kimberley which has grass pastures.

RCA is the process DPIRD uses to make systematic, station-level assessment of rangeland. Rangeland condition considers both the condition of pastures (defined in the ‘Pasture condition guides for the Pilbara’ and ‘Pasture condition guides for the southern rangelands including the Gascoyne, Murchison and Goldfields-Nullarbor’) and soils as determined by erosion, using the …

Procedures For Rangeland Condition Assessment In The Kimberley 2025, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources published reports

This report defines the procedures used in 2025 by DPIRD to complete rangeland condition assessment (RCA) in the Kimberley region which has grass-based pastures. For the rest of the pastoral estate, DPIRD uses the Procedures for RCA in the Pilbara and southern rangelands which have predominantly shrub pastures.

RCA is the process DPIRD uses to make systematic, station-level assessment of rangeland. Rangeland condition considers both the condition of pastures (as defined in the 'Pasture condition guide for the Kimberley') and soils as determined by erosion, using the erosion assessment method on pastoral lands in Western Australia. The methods have evolved …

Groundwater-Dependent Ecosystems In Southeastern Utah: An Integrated Analysis Of Hydrology, Ecology, And Landscape Change, Colten Lay

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

In Southeastern Utah, springs play a critical role in sustaining groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs) in a semi-arid environment. However, they remain understudied and face growing threats from climate change, land use modifications, and hydrologic alterations. This study addresses knowledge gaps in spring occurrence, hydrologic function, and ecological condition by integrating field surveys, remote sensing, and geospatial analysis across multiple spatial scales. It provides a comprehensive assessment of spring hydrology, water quality, and ecological conditions using field surveys, remote sensing, and GIS analysis to establish a foundational baseline of GDE resources in the region. I applied a multi-scale monitoring approach across the …

Temporal Partitioning And Coexistence Among Four Sympatric Felid Species In The Northern Jaguar Reserve, Kylie Marie Rezendes

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

Coexistence among sympatric carnivores is shaped by behavioral strategies that mediate competition and mortality risk in heterogeneous landscapes. Understanding how sympatric carnivores, such as felids, use space and time in relation to one another requires models that account for both spatial and temporal overlap across landscapes. Models incorporating time-to-event probabilities provide a powerful framework for detecting behavioral dynamics across shared landscapes. This study evaluated the spatiotemporal responses of two apex predators â?? the jaguar (Panthera onca) and mountain lion (Puma concolor) - and two mesopredators - bobcat (Lynx rufus) and ocelot (Leopardus pardalis) - across five years of camera trap …

What's The Value Of A State? Accounting For The Ecosystem Services And Natural Capital Of Oregon, Kathryn Liebrecht

University Honors Theses

Ecosystem services are vital to human welfare and society, but often are overlooked when it comes to planning and setting policy. By neglecting to incorporate the benefits received from natural resources, policy makers may unknowingly be making decisions that harm the long term sustainability and use of these services. To highlight the importance of Oregon's ecosystems, the present study aims to provide a full accounting of the ecosystem services and natural capital of the state. Using data from the Institute for Natural Resources' updated Oregon statewide habitat map, Oregon's ecosystems were matched to biome categories from the Ecosystem Services Valuation …

The Nature Of Anthropogenically Driven River Drying: Spatiotemporal Causes And Consequences, Eliza Inez Gilbert

Biology ETDs

Streambed drying naturally occurs in over 60% of rivers and streams worldwide. Climate change and human regulation of surface and groundwater have increased drying in naturally intermittent systems and caused perennial systems to transition to intermittency, impacting water security, water quality, and biodiversity. To understand human-induced drying dynamics, we used 12 years of daily drying data along a 154-km regulated reach of the Rio Grande. We conceptualized river drying as a regime analogous to the natural flow regime paradigm and quantified drying magnitude, rate of change, and duration. Although linear models predicting drying magnitude and rate of change were uninterpretable, …

Integrating Belowground Recovery Into Tropical Forest Restoration Design And Monitoring, Lauren Toro, Leland K. Werden, Shalom D. Addo-Danso, Kelly M. Andersen, Sarah Batterman, Matilde M. Bragadini, Pooja Choksi, Rebecca J. Cole, Liza S. Comita, Daniela Cusack, Daisy H. Dent, Lee H. Dietterich, Joshua B. Fisher, Katrin Fleischer, Lucia Fuchslueger, Nohemi Huanca-Nunez, Janey R. Lienau, Lindsay A. Mcculloch, Ember M. Morrissey, Jennifer S. Powers, Mareli Sánchez-Juliá, Oscar Valverde-Barrantes, Anita Weissflog, Michelle Y. Wong

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

There is growing recognition that tropical forest restoration is key for sequestering carbon and enhancing ecosystem resilience. Soils, roots, and soil biota are central to ecosystem function and services, but belowground recovery is largely overlooked in restoration monitoring frameworks. Here, we outline current understanding of the links between above- and belowground recovery in tropical forests by examining how belowground properties before and after intervention influence recovery; by evaluating whether aboveground recovery can serve as a proxy for belowground dynamics; and by proposing a blueprint for monitoring dynamic soil physical (bulk density, aggregate stability), chemical (organic matter or carbon, pH), and …

Status Of The Western Australian Pastoral Rangelands 2024: Total Vegetative Cover, Cover Risk And Pasture Condition, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Natural resources published reports

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) monitors and reports on the vegetation condition of pastoral rangelands in Western Australia. Two levels of reporting are provided: every 5 years a full report (this report) details the state, trend and risk of decrease of vegetation condition in the pastoral rangelands using information derived from remotely sensed and on-ground data; in the intervening years, short reports are provided based on remotely sensed data.

This full report is based on remotely sensed vegetation cover data, rainfall data, livestock data and station-level rangeland condition assessment (RCA) data available in November 2024. Data …

Catching A Fever: A Comparison Of Vachellia Xanthophloea Populations In The Limpopo And Luvuvhu River Floodplains Of The Makuleke Contractual Park, Kianie B. David

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study investigates patterns of stand structure regeneration, growth characteristics, and coarse woody debris (CWD) patterns in Vachellia xanthophloea (fever tree) stands within the Makuleke Contractual Park (MCP), a semi-arid savanna system in northern Kruger National Park (KNP), South Africa. Fieldwork was conducted across two stand types: a monospecific fever tree stand in Rietbok Vlei and a mixed-species stand in the Western Nhlangaluwe Floodplain where fever tree is established with Faidherbia albida (ana tree). Data were collected from 20 total 1/4-acre (1,011 m²) circular plots between both stands in 2024 and 2025, including seedling root collar diameter (RCD), …

Bioenergy Crop Production: Implications For Grassland Bird Communities In Southwestern Nebraska, Grace E. Schuster

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Biofuel and bioenergy systems are components of most climate stabilization pathways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and limit global warming. Currently, corn (Zea mays) is the predominant feedstock used for bioenergy production in the United States. However, widespread production of this monoculture crop has resulted in many negative environmental impacts. The most notorious impact has been the loss of grassland habitat due to agriculture expansion which has had detrimental effects on wildlife that depend on grassland habitat. One such group, grassland birds, has faced steeper, more consistent, and more widespread declines than any other avian guild. Therefore, strategies …

Cutthroat Trout In Utah, Hope Northagen, Ethan Gilliam

All Current Publications

This fact sheet is intended to inform anglers, aquatic recreationalists, and backyard conservationists interested in learning about a Utah native species, current restoration steps, and how their actions can help professionals restore native cutthroat trout populations.

Why Real Impact Stories Of Forest-Dependent Communities Are Essential In Carbon Marketing, Andrew Mwape

School of Natural Resources: Faculty Publications

As the global carbon market matures, the pressure on companies and project developers to prove the integrity and social value of their carbon offset initiatives has never been greater. At the heart of this growing scrutiny lies a key opportunity: to move beyond metrics and tell authentic, human-centered stories that reflect the real impact of carbon projects; especially those rooted in forest landscapes.

The State Of Municipal Scale Highest Use Urban Wood Reclamation Projects, Bradley C. Almond

Graduate Liberal Studies Theses and Dissertations

Millions of urban trees are downed annually for various reasons, such as storms, disease, or development. We are all witnesses to the loss of trees as we see the piles of woody waste assembled on the curbside, ready for public works pickup. Today, most urban wood waste ends up in landfills, mulching/chipping facilities, or firewood production. Each of these alternatives results in the release of sequestered carbon back into the atmosphere.

The initial research led to successful diversion from landfills to mulch and firewood operations. Then, the research shifted to converting urban wood waste for its best use, which outlined …

Pastoral Land Condition: Kimberley Land Condition Standards, Robert Sudmeyer, Rick Fletcher, Kathryn Ryan, Matthew Fletcher, Charles Martin, Philip Thomas, Karen Holmes, Karyn Reeves, Wayne Fletcher

Natural resources published reports

This report outlines the conceptual basis and quantitative land condition standards that define acceptable pastoral land condition for the Kimberley, Western Australia (WA), to meet the regulatory requirements of the Land Administration Act 1997 and the Soil and Land Conservation Act 1945.

The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) develops regional-level pastoral land condition standards for WA to implement the Framework for sustainable pastoral management – Revised edition, which is designed to address the Office of the Auditor General’s recommendations to improve the management of pastoral lands in WA. The application of these standards is expected to …

Consultation Summary For Proposed Declared Pest Rates 2025/2026, Department Of Primary Industries And Regional Development, Western Australia

Biosecurity published reports

Under the Biosecurity and Agriculture Management Act 2007 (BAM Act) the State raises a Declared Pest Rate (DPR) from land or leaseholders (hereafter landholders) in prescribed areas (DPR Areas) and matches the funds raised from the rate dollar-for-dollar.

The combined funds are made available to Recognised Biosecurity Groups (RBGs) who provide support to landholders to fulfil their obligations under the BAM Act to manage widespread and established declared pests on their land. A community-led and coordinated approach is considered the most effective way to support landholders to manage these types of pests.

Each year, the Minister for Agriculture and Food …

Spatial Ecology And Predator–Prey Interactions Of Mountain Lions In California's San Francisco North Bay, Jacob A. Harvey

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Understanding spatial ecology and predator-prey interactions are central to wildlife ecology and conservation. We tracked mountain lions with GPS telemetry to evaluate space use, predator-prey interactions, and resource selection in California’s San Francisco North Bay, USA. In Chapter 1, we evaluated the influence of human disturbance on home range size, prey composition, and kill rates on black-tailed deer (Odocoileus hemionus columbianus) across an urban-rural gradient. Both males and females increased home range size with increasing development at low to moderate levels of development, but female home range size stabilized across greater proportions of development while male home range …

Assessment Of Sampling Gears For Bigheaded Carp In Mid-Order Prairie Rivers In Nebraska, Brett M. Anderson

School of Natural Resources: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Silver Carp Hypophthalmichthys molitrix and Bighead Carp H. nobilis (collectively bigheaded carp) have invaded tributaries to the Missouri River and Platte River in Nebraska, USA. Information pertaining to efficient sampling protocols for assessing bigheaded carp populations as well as benefiting removal efforts is needed. Herding is a method used to increase the capture efficiency and detection probability of adult bigheaded carp by simultaneously using active and passive sampling gears. During June-July 2023, four herding techniques were assessed regarding their ability to elicit directional movement past an enclosure gate. The combination of sound and electrofishing resulted in the highest mean …

Considerations And Techniques For Producing Urban Tree Canopy Maps Using Freely Available And Accessible Methods, Hugh Reed Ellerman

Dissertations and Doctoral Documents, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2023–

Urban forests are valued as green infrastructure for the variety of benefits they provide across ecological, social, public health, and economic domains. To understand the distribution of trees, maps are required. Many methods of mapping tree cover use expensive and data-intensive datasets such as hyperspectral and LiDAR imagery, making these methods inaccessible to municipal forest managers. Variations in the modelling approaches of existing, freely available methods are not addressed in sufficient enough detail to understand the trade-offs implicit in these variations. Further, characteristics of urban tree canopy mapping (high spatial resolution imagery, heterogeneous urban environments, the importance of the tree …

Diversity And Habitat Use Of Bats In Modified Suburban Landscapes, Brittany Morgera

Biology Presentations

Bats occupy critical ecological niches and perform important ecosystem services like controlling insect populations. However, humans have altered bat habitat substantially, resulting in the reduction of bat populations. The goals of this research are to assess bat diversity and habitat use across different levels of suburban habitat modification. To accomplish this, we deployed passive acoustic recorders at twelve locations with varying human impact in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. In accordance with The North American Bat Monitoring Program’s standards, acoustic analysis software was used to identify bat species. Manual identification methods from The Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative were used to verify these …

Trenching And Compost Sustain Grain Yield Increases Over Nine Years On Deep Sands But At A Cost, David J.M. Hall, Tom J. Edwards

Grain and Other Field Crops Research Articles

Context. Crops grown on deep sands on the south coast of WA are limited by soil physical and chemical properties including compaction and poor nutrition. Aims. Crops grown on deep sands on the south coast of Western Australia are limited by soil physical and chemical properties including compaction and poor nutrition. Our aim was to determine what effects deep-placed organic amendments have on soil properties and crop production in a deep sand and whether such amendments are profitable. Methods. A long-term field trial was conducted over nine years (2015–2023) to investigate soil amendments including lime (0 and …

Sheep Production, Profitability And Greenhouse Gas Emission Of Mixed Farming Systems In Western Australia's Wheatbelt, Tafesse Estifanos, Amir Abadi Abadi Ghadim, Kate Pritchett, Christophe D'Abbadie, Johnny Machon, Paul Mattingley, Bradley Plunkett, Gus Manatsa, Kerrine Blenkinsop, Ross Kingwell, Clinton K. Revell Dr

Animal production and livestock research reports

The south-western agricultural area of Western Australia is a vital contributor to Australia's agricultural output. It generates over $10 billion annually in agricultural production from 2017–18 to 2021–22 and more than $8 billion in export value over the same period. Mixed farming systems characterise the region, producing broadacre crops (primarily wheat, barley, and canola) and livestock. The region's livestock industry is dominated by sheep production for meat and wool, and the state’s share of the national sheep flock in 2020–21 was at 18%.

This report provides a comprehensive review and industry analysis of sheep production in WA, its economic significance, …

Storage Batteries (Renewable Energies/Cars) - Background For Cure "Battery Discharge" Project, Alexa Miner, Clarissa Cortez, James Gonzalez, Ryan Romine

Posters - 2025

In the past, and even today, Texas is known for its oil rigs and non-renewable energy sources, but it has also become a pillar for solar and wind turbine created power. As of late, the usage of these kinds of renewable resources has become essential to keep Texas as efficient as we once were in an ever growing world, where more people need more energy. However, a caveat concerning renewable energy resources is how available they are. At first, this unfamiliar territory led to people doubting its productivity when there was a lack of wind or sunshine. The solution to …

Improving Wetland Revegetation In The Intermountain West: Wetland Manager And Native Plant Vendor Insights And Challenges, Annie L. Henry, Rae Robinson, Kate Sinnott, Mark W. Brunson, Emily E. Tarsa, Adrienne Ernst, Karin M. Kettenring

All Current Publications

Diverse native vegetation supports the many ecosystem services that wetlands provide to society. In degraded wetlands, the native vegetation often needs to be reseeded or replanted as part of the restoration process. However, such wetland revegetation practices of managers are relatively undocumented and the availability of native plants for wetland restoration from vendors has been unclear. We conducted surveys of wetland managers and wetland native plant vendors in the Intermountain West in 2023 to understand their practices, challenges, and perspectives. We found that wetland managers in the Intermountain West revegetate diverse habitats for important ecosystem services despite very limited budgets …

Transcriptional Profiles Reveal Physiological Mechanisms For Compensation During A Simulated Marine Heatwave In Yellowtail Kingfish (Seriola Lalandi), Sharon E. Hook, Ryan J. Farr, Jenny Su, Alistair J. Hobday, Catherine Wingate, Lindsey Woolley, Luke Pilmer

Fisheries Research Articles

Background

Changing ocean temperatures are already causing declines in populations of marine organisms. Predicting the capacity of organisms to adjust to the pressures posed by climate change is a topic of much current research effort, particularly for species we farm or harvest. To explore one measure of phenotypic plasticity, the physiological compensations in response to heat stress as might be experienced in a marine heatwave, we exposed Yellowtail Kingfish (Seriola lalandi) to sublethal heat stress, and used the transcriptome in gill and muscle, benchmarked against heat shock proteins and oxidative stress indicators, to characterise the acute heat stress …

Meeting Carbon Dioxide Removal Demand In 2030: The Potential Of Macroalgae Cultivation And Harvest, Lotta Siebert, Jiajun Wu, Lena-Katharina Bednarz, David Keller, Felix Meier, Christine Merk, Sonja Peterson, Wilfried Rickels

Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics

A growing number of countries have announced net-zero and net-negative emissions targets, but only a few countries provide incentives for carbon dioxide removal (CDR). We derive estimates of countries' hypothetical demand for CDR in 2030 based on their emissions reduction targets under the Paris Agreement. The aggregated average global demand for CDR in the compliance year 2030 is 1064 MtCO₂, 353 MtCO₂, and 124 MtCO₂ for the low, medium, and high-cost CDR scenarios, respectively. This demand comes exclusively from countries and regions with relatively high GDP per capita, relatively high abatement costs and a limited …

Restore The Shore: A Guide To Lakeshore Revegetation In The Great Basin, Jes V. Braun, Rae Robinson, Annie L. Henry, Karin M. Kettenring

All Current Publications

Lakeshore vegetation supports many valuable aspects of lake ecosystems: foraging areas for birds, rearing grounds for fish, nutrient cycling, carbon storage, and aesthetic, cultural, and spiritual values. Yet, the vegetation of many lakeshores has been lost or heavily impacted by humans. What can be done to restore lakeshore vegetation to ensure that lakes remain healthy for future generations? In this guide, we summarize best practices for lakeshore revegetation (i.e., the process of actively reintroducing vegetation, usually native species, to a restoration site through seeding and planting) in the Great Basin.

Exploring Single Cell Microbial Protein As A Sustainable Fishmeal Alternative In Yellowtail Kingfish (Seriola Lalandi) Diets: Impacts On Health And Gut Microbiome, Luke Pilmer, Lindsey Woolley, Alan Lymbery, Chinh Dam, Abigail Elizur, Md Javed Foysal, Gavin Partridge

Fisheries Research Articles

Background

With the global expansion of aquaculture and the increasing demand for fish meal, identifying appropriate and sustainable alternative protein sources for aquafeeds has become essential. Single-cell protein (SCP), derived from methanotrophic bacteria, presents a promising alternative by converting methane into protein, potentially addressing both the need for alternative protein sources and reducing industrial greenhouse gas emissions. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different levels of SCP inclusion (0%, 25%, 50%, and 75% fish meal replacement) on the health, gene expression, and gut microbiome of yellowtail kingfish (YTK, Seriola lalandi) following a 35-day growth trial.

Results

The …