Montanas Comprehensive Fish And Wildlife Conservation Strategy

This document summarizes a great deal of information on the distribution, status, and biology of amphibians and reptiles known or thought to potentially inhabit Montana and is intended to become a dynamic living document that can be updated on a regular basis from research conducted in Montana or elsewhere. The document will be posted on the Montana Natural Heritage Programs website at http://nhp.nris.state.mt.us/reports.asp as well as Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Comprehensive Fish and Wildlife Conservation Strategy website at http://fwp.mt.gov/wildthings/cfwcs/swg/planning.html The document begins with taxonomic checklists for amphibians and reptiles that: (1) have been documented as native species; (2) are potentially present as native species; (3) have been documented as exotic species successfully reproducing in the state; (4) have been documented as successfully reproducing in the state but for which there is uncertainty about their status as native or exotic species; and (5) have been documented in the state but for which there is no evidence of successful reproduction. Presence and status ranks for amphibians and reptiles are then summarized for various land management regions in Montana and background information is provided as to why species were assigned these ranks and what the associated management implications are for each state, federal, or tribal agency. Status ranks are described for Global Ranks (G ranks) assigned to species by NatureServe and State Ranks (S ranks) assigned to species by the Montana Natural Heritage Program because they are often used by federal and state agencies when they are developing their own special status ranks for species they will give special protections or considerations in land use planning. Status ranks and summaries of distribution and/or site occupancy rates from recent amphibian inventory surveys are provided for: (1) Region 1 National Forests; (2) Bureau of Land Management Field Offices; (3) tribal reservations; (4) Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Regions; and (5) National Wildlife Refuges or refuge complexes. General habitat associations are then summarized in tables listing major habitat types and all of the amphibian and reptile species that are typically found in these habitats. Laws and regulations applicable to Montanas amphibians and reptiles are then summarized, including federal laws and regulations, tribal regulations, portions of Montana Code Annotated relevant to nongame and endangered species, and portions of Montana Code Annotated relevant to importation, introduction, and translocation of wildlife. A review of literature relevant to conservation of amphibians and reptiles includes sections on (1) ecological function and importance of amphibians and reptiles, (2) amphibian and reptile biology and disturbance regimes relevant to management, (3) risk factors relevant to the viability of amphibian and reptile populations including: (a) global amphibian declines; (b) timber harvest; (c) grazing; (d) fire and fire management activities; (e) nonindigenous species and their management; (f) road and trail development and on- and off-road vehicle use; (g) development and management of recreational facilities and water impoundments; (h) harvest and commerce; and (i) habitat fragmentation and metapopulation impacts. This review is currently somewhat biased toward amphibians, both because of the much higher recent concern over the status of amphibians and because this literature review drew from previous efforts focused on amphibians. Accounts for individual species then summarize what is known about the species distributition, taxonomy, maximum documented elevation, habitat use and natural history, and conservation status. Sections on identification of various life history stages and priority research and management issues are also included. Finally, an attempt was made to compile a complete bibliography of published and gray literature for each species in order to provide everyone easy access to this information. These accounts are intended to be updated on a regular basis in order to provide everyone access to the latest information. A contact list for members of the Montana Amphibian and Reptile Working Group is included in order to promote communication between agency biologists, resource managers, students, researchers, and anyone interested in the conservation of amphibians and reptiles in Montana. An overview of the statewide inventory and monitoring program for amphibians and reptiles provides background information on the sampling schemes used, methods used for surveys, and the survey forms used for a variety of amphibian inventory work. Watershed summaries for the lentic breeding amphibian and aquatic reptile surveys complete the current version of this report in order to provide resource managers easy access to this information. Georeferenced site photos associated with this inventory work have been posted on the Montana Natural Heritage Programs TRACKER website which can be accessed at: http://mtnhp.org It is recommended that users of this document first use the tables at the beginning of the document to identify management status, likelihood of a species presence in the area of interest, and the complement of species that are typically found in each general habitat type. Users should then examine individual species accounts in order gain a more thorough understanding of a species distribution, status, resource needs, factors that may pose a threat to population viability, and management actions that may mitigate these threats. Finally, users can review results of field surveys contained in individual watershed reports or see up-to-date distribution information for each species on the Montana Natural Heritage TRACKER website at: http://mtnhp.org

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Descended from a long and ancient lineage, tapirs are important tropical forest seed dispersers. However, today, all species of tapirs are threatened to various degrees by habitat destruction and hunting. This action plan was written with wildlife biologists, ecologists, administrators, educators and local conservation officials in mind and is aimed at those countries with tapir populations. It provides a brief natural history of each species and its objective is to aid in their conservation by catalyzing conservation action. In addition, it is hoped that the contents of the plan will stimulate further research into this fascinating group of animals.

A book focused solely on Andean Cloud Forests (ACF) has never been published. ACF are high biodiversity ecosystems in the Neotropics with a large proportion of endemic species, and are important for the hydrology of entire regions. They provide water for large parts of the Amazon basin, for example. Here I take advantage of my many years working in ACF in Ecuador, to edit this book that contains the following sections: (1) ACF over space and time, (2) Hydrology, (3) Light and the Carbon cycle, (4) Soil, litter, fungi and nutrient cycling, (5) Plants, (6) Animals, and (7) Human impacts and management. Under this premise, international experts contributed chapters that consist of reviews of what is known about their topic, of what research they have done, and of what needs to be done in the future. This work is suitable for graduate students, professors, scientists, and researcher-oriented managers.

This book examines the evolution of the phenomenon and explores the genesis of overtourism and the system dynamics underlining it. The 'overtourism' phenomenon is defined as the excessive growth of visitors leading to overcrowding and the consequential suffering of residents, due to temporary and often seasonal tourism peaks, that lead to permanent changes in lifestyles, amenities and well- being. Enormous tensions in overtourism affected destinations have driven the intensification of policy making and scholarly attention toward seeking antidotes to an issue that is considered paradoxical and problematic. Moving beyond the 'top 10 things you can do about overtourism', this book examines the evolution of the phenomenon and explores the genesis of overtourism as well as the system dynamics underpinning it. With a rigorous scientific approach, the book uses systems-thinking and contemporary paradigms around sustainable development, resilience planning and degrowth; while considering global economic, socio-political, environmental discourses. Researchers, analysts, policy makers and industry stakeholders working within tourism as well as those within the private sector, community groups, civil society groups and NGOs will find this book an essential source of information.

An inside look at working with the majestic elk—and the controversies surrounding their conservation.

An interdisciplinary research unit consisting of 30 teams in the natural, economic and social sciences analyzed biodiversity and ecosystem services of a mountain rainforest ecosystem in the hotspot of the tropical Andes, with special reference to past, current and future environmental changes. The group assessed ecosystem services using data from ecological field and scenario-driven model experiments, and with the help of comparative field surveys of the natural forest and its anthropogenic replacement system for agriculture. The book offers insights into the impacts of environmental change on various service categories mentioned in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (2005): cultural, regulating, supporting and provisioning ecosystem services. Examples focus on biodiversity of plants and animals including trophic networks, and abiotic/biotic parameters such as soils, regional climate, water, nutrient and sediment cycles. The types of threats considered include land use and climate changes, as well as atmospheric fertilization. In terms of regulating and provisioning services, the emphasis is primarily on water regulation and supply as well as climate regulation and carbon sequestration. With regard to provisioning services, the synthesis of the book provides science-based recommendations for a sustainable land use portfolio including several options such as forestry, pasture management and the practices of indigenous peoples. In closing, the authors show how they integrated the local society by pursuing capacity building in compliance with the CBD-ABS (Convention on Biological Diversity - Access and Benefit Sharing), in the form of education and knowledge transfer for application.