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Landscape Evaluation for Restoration Planning on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, USA

Author

Listed:
  • Paul F. Hessburg

    (USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Forestry Sciences Laboratory, 1133 North Western Ave., Wenatchee, WA 98801, USA)

  • Keith M. Reynolds

    (USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Forestry Sciences Laboratory, 3200 SW Jefferson Way, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA)

  • R. Brion Salter

    (USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Forestry Sciences Laboratory, 1133 North Western Ave., Wenatchee, WA 98801, USA)

  • James D. Dickinson

    (USDA Forest Service, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, Wenatchee, WA 98801, USA)

  • William L. Gaines

    (USDA Forest Service, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, Wenatchee, WA 98801, USA)

  • Richy J. Harrod

    (USDA Forest Service, Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, Wenatchee, WA 98801, USA)

Abstract

Land managers in the western US are beginning to understand that early 20th century forests displayed complex patterns of composition and structure at several different spatial scales, that there was interplay between patterns and processes within and across scales, and that these conditions have been radically altered by management. Further, they know that restoring integrity (see Definition of Terms) of these conditions has broad implications for the future sustainability (see Definition of Terms) of native species, ecosystem services, and ecological processes. Many are looking for methods to restore (see Definition of Terms) more natural landscape patterns of habitats and more naturally functioning disturbance regimes; all in the context of a warming climate. Attention is turning to evaluating whole landscapes at local and regional scales, deciphering recent changes in trajectories, and formulating landscape prescriptions that can restore ecological functionality and improve landscape resilience (see Definition of Terms). The business of landscape evaluation and developing landscape prescriptions is inherently complex, but with the advent of decision support systems, software applications are now available to conduct and document these evaluations. Here, we review several published landscape evaluation and planning applications designed with the Ecosystem Management Decision Support (EMDS) software, and present an evaluation we developed in support of a landscape restoration project. We discuss the goals and design of the project, its methods and utilities, what worked well, what could be improved and related research opportunities. For readability and compactness, fine and broad-scale landscape evaluations that could be a part of multi-scale restoration planning, are not further developed here.

Suggested Citation

  • Paul F. Hessburg & Keith M. Reynolds & R. Brion Salter & James D. Dickinson & William L. Gaines & Richy J. Harrod, 2013. "Landscape Evaluation for Restoration Planning on the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, USA," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 5(3), pages 1-36, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:5:y:2013:i:3:p:805-840:d:23787
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Keith M. Reynolds & Philip J. Murphy & Steven Paplanus, 2017. "Toward Geodesign for Watershed Restoration on the Fremont-Winema National Forest, Pacific Northwest, USA," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(5), pages 1-19, April.
    2. Pete Bettinger & Krista Merry & Jonathan Stober, 2022. "A Hierarchical Binary Process Model to Assess Deviation from Desired Ecological Condition across a Broad Forested Landscape in Alabama," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-14, May.
    3. Belavenutti, Pedro & Ager, Alan A. & Day, Michelle A. & Chung, Woodam, 2022. "Designing forest restoration projects to optimize the application of broadcast burning," Ecological Economics, Elsevier, vol. 201(C).
    4. Junga Lee & Christopher D. Ellis & Yun Eui Choi & Soojin You & Jinhyung Chon, 2015. "An Integrated Approach to Mitigation Wetland Site Selection: A Case Study in Gwacheon, Korea," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(3), pages 1-28, March.
    5. Marcelo Gomes Miguez & Aline Pires Veról & Matheus Martins De Sousa & Osvaldo Moura Rezende, 2015. "Urban Floods in Lowlands—Levee Systems, Unplanned Urban Growth and River Restoration Alternative: A Case Study in Brazil," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(8), pages 1-30, August.
    6. Jie Lian & Xueyong Zhao & Xin Li & Tonghui Zhang & Shaokun Wang & Yongqing Luo & Yangchun Zhu & Jing Feng, 2017. "Detecting Sustainability of Desertification Reversion: Vegetation Trend Analysis in Part of the Agro-Pastoral Transitional Zone in Inner Mongolia, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 9(2), pages 1-15, February.
    7. Long, Ting & Pan, Huanxue & Dong, Chao & Qin, Tao & Ma, Ping, 2019. "Exploring the competitive evolution of global wood forest product trade based on complex network analysis," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 525(C), pages 1224-1232.
    8. Jian Peng & Minli Zong & Yi'na Hu & Yanxu Liu & Jiansheng Wu, 2015. "Assessing Landscape Ecological Risk in a Mining City: A Case Study in Liaoyuan City, China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 7(7), pages 1-23, June.

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