Science for Managing Riverine Ecosystems Actions for the USGS Identified in the Workshop 'Analysis of Flow and Habitat for Instream Aquatic Communities'

摘要

Federal and state agencies need improved scientific analysis to support riverine ecosystem management. To address this need, the USGS held a listening session in Fort Collins, Colorado in April 2006. Goals of the workshop were to: (1) learn about the key resource issues facing DOI, other Federal, and state resource management agencies; (2) discuss new approaches and information needs for addressing these issues; and (3) outline a strategy for the USGS role in supporting riverine ecosystem management. Workshop discussions focused on key components of a USGS strategy: Communications, Synthesis, and Research. The workshop identified 3 priority actions the USGS can initiate now to advance its capabilities to support integrated science for resource managers in partner government agencies and nongovernmental organizations: - Synthesize the existing science of riverine ecosystem processes to produce broadly applicable conceptual models - Enhance selected ongoing instream flow projects with complementary interdisciplinary studies -Design a long-term, watershed- scale research program that will substantively reinvent riverine ecosystem science. In addition, topical discussion groups on hydrology, geomorphology, aquatic habitat and populations, and socio-economic analysis and negotiation identified eleven important complementary actions required to advance the state of the science and to develop the tools for supporting decisions on riverine ecosystem management.