Conservation programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have significantly influenced landscape conditions in the Prairie Pothole Region of the United States. Approximately 2,200,000 ha (5,436,200 acres) in the Prairie Pothole Region are enrolled in either the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) or Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP). The ecosystem services provided by lands in these programs are diverse, ranging from improvements in local and broad-scale environmental conditions, such as air and water quality, and reduction of hazard risks, such as floodwater storage, to an improved ability to conserve the Nation's biological resources and provide increased recreational opportunities (Knutsen and Euliss, 2001; Allen and Vandever, 2003). Collectively, these services provide benefits valued by a broad spectrum of American society; however, the failure to quantify the full range of benefits provided by these programs has led to increasing scrutiny regarding their actual value. For example, the President's Budget and Performance Integration Initiative requires that Federal programs demonstrate effectiveness, accurately account for the expenditure of program dollars, and document results achieved. Consequently, developing approaches that meet these new accountability guidelines is critical to ensuring the continued funding of Federal conservation programs. This is particularly relevant for both the CRP and WRP, which have not yet achieved a rating of “effective” according to the Program Assessment Rating Tool administered by the Office of Management and Budget.

This open access book synthesizes leading-edge science and management information about forest and rangeland soils of the United States. It offers ways to better understand changing conditions and their impacts on soils, and explores directions that positively affect the future of forest and rangeland soil health. This book outlines soil processes and identifies the research needed to manage forest and rangeland soils in the United States. Chapters give an overview of the state of forest and rangeland soils research in the Nation, including multi-decadal programs (chapter 1), then summarizes various human-caused and natural impacts and their effects on soil carbon, hydrology, biogeochemistry, and biological diversity (chapters 2–5). Other chapters look at the effects of changing conditions on forest soils in wetland and urban settings (chapters 6–7). Impacts include: climate change, severe wildfires, invasive species, pests and diseases, pollution, and land use change. Chapter 8 considers approaches to maintaining or regaining forest and rangeland soil health in the face of these varied impacts. Mapping, monitoring, and data sharing are discussed in chapter 9 as ways to leverage scientific and human resources to address soil health at scales from the landscape to the individual parcel (monitoring networks, data sharing Web sites, and educational soils-centered programs are tabulated in appendix B). Chapter 10 highlights opportunities for deepening our understanding of soils and for sustaining long-term ecosystem health and appendix C summarizes research needs. Nine regional summaries (appendix A) offer a more detailed look at forest and rangeland soils in the United States and its Affiliates.

Land conversion, climate change and species invasions are contributing to the widespread emergence of novel ecosystems, which demand a shift in how we think about traditional approaches to conservation, restoration and environmental management. They are novel because they exist without historical precedents and are self-sustaining. Traditional approaches emphasizing native species and historical continuity are challenged by novel ecosystems that deliver critical ecosystems services or are simply immune to practical restorative efforts. Some fear that, by raising the issue of novel ecosystems, we are simply paving the way for a more laissez-faire attitude to conservation and restoration. Regardless of the range of views and perceptions about novel ecosystems, their existence is becoming ever more obvious and prevalent in today’s rapidly changing world. In this first comprehensive volume to look at the ecological, social, cultural, ethical and policy dimensions of novel ecosystems, the authors argue these altered systems are overdue for careful analysis and that we need to figure out how to intervene in them responsibly. This book brings together researchers from a range of disciplines together with practitioners and policy makers to explore the questions surrounding novel ecosystems. It includes chapters on key concepts and methodologies for deciding when and how to intervene in systems, as well as a rich collection of case studies and perspective pieces. It will be a valuable resource for researchers, managers and policy makers interested in the question of how humanity manages and restores ecosystems in a rapidly changing world. A companion website with additional resources is available at www.wiley.com/go/hobbs/ecosystems