Continued longitudinal analysis of avid outdoor recreationists during the COVID-19 pandemic and sensitivities to new outdoor recreationists

The COVID-19 pandemic has altered outdoor recreation behaviors in the United States for over one year. In an effort to continue gathering timely and relevant data on national outdoor recreation patterns, the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics and its academic partners, Pennsylvania State University and the University of Montana, conducted a four-phase study to offer guidance to land managers, recreation providers, and outdoor enthusiasts across the United States. This report details findings from Phase 4, occurring one year into the pandemic. By comparing survey results from April 2020 (Phase 1) and April 2021 (Phase 4), we provide a longitudinal perspective of how avid outdoor recreationists’ reported behaviors and perspectives are evolving with the ever-changing pandemic. Phases 1, 2, and 3 of this assessment were detailed by previous reports1. In addition to examining differences between April 2020 (Phase 1) and April 2021 (Phase 4), this report details how avid outdoor recreationists have been impacted by and reacted to influxes of new outdoor recreationists during the pandemic. This report is intended to provide valuable information for managing changing recreation use of public lands and offer insight for land managers as they work to protect the natural world.

Building a modelling framework to simulate ecosystem processes under changing climate: the long road from Biome-BGC to Biome-BGCMAg

<p>During the past 15 years, our research group was developing the Biome-BGCMAg (formerly known as Biome-BGCMuSo) biogeochemical model to improve its ability to simulate carbon and water cycle in different ecosystems, with options for managed croplands, grasslands, and forests. We made various model improvements based on the results of model validation and benchmarking. Our goal is to have a model that is suitable for estimating and predicting greenhouse gas fluxes of different ecosystems at various scales under changing management and climate conditions.</p><p>The current, most recent model is called Biome-BGCMAg which is a process-based, biogeochemical model that simulates the storage and flux of water, carbon, and nitrogen in the soil-plant-atmosphere system. Biome-BGCMAg was derived from the widely known Biome-BGC v4.1.1 model developed by the Numerical Terradynamic Simulation Group (NTSG), University of Montana, USA. One of the most important model developments is the implementation of a multilayer soil module with water, carbon, nitrogen, and soil organic matter profiles. We implemented drought and anoxic soil state-related plant mortality. Alternative calculation methods for various processes were implemented to support possible algorithm ensemble modelling approach. Optional dynamic allocation algorithm was introduced using predefined phenophases based on growing degree day method. We implemented optional temperature dependence of allocation and possible assimilation downregulation as a function of temperature. Nitrogen budget simulation was improved. Furthermore, human intervention modules were developed to simulate cropland management (e.g. planting, harvest, ploughing, and application of fertilizers) and forest thinning. Dynamic whole plant mortality was implemented in the model to enable more realistic simulation of forest stand development. Last (but not least) conditional management (irrigation and mowing) was introduced to analyze the effect of different management strategies in the future. We started to build a sophisticated R based software to increase the visibility of the model and enable its use by the wider scientific community.</p><p>In our first attempt to simulate national scale greenhouse gas budget with Biome-BGCMAg 2.0, we executed the model at 10 x 10 km spatial resolution for Hungary, using eco-physiological parameterization and prescribed management for maize, winter wheat, forests and grassland. The first results revealed that the spatial pattern of net primary production and crop yield is not represented well by the model. Based on the first experiences we introduced new features within Biome-BGCMAg 2.1 that address soil water deficit related photosynthesis down-regulation. Missing stomatal conductance effect on C4 photosynthesis was also addressed by the new developments. </p>

DESAFIOS E AVANÇOS PARA A ESTRUTURAÇÃO DE UMA COMUNIDADE DE PRÁTICA DE VISITAÇÃO EM ÁREAS PROTEGIDAS

A Comunidade de Prática é formada por um grupo de pessoas com interesses comuns em um determinado assunto, que se reúnem periodicamente e estão conectados por algum tipo de comunicação virtual, para compartilhar conhecimento e aplicá-lo, estabelecer parcerias, desenvolver projetos, entre outras iniciativas. Nesse caso, o interesse comum é a visitação em áreas protegidas. O College of Forestry and Conservation of the University of Montana instituiu, desde 2013, uma parceria com o Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade (ICMBio), por meio do Serviço Florestal dos Estados Unidos (USFS) e da United States Agency for International Development (USAID), com o objetivo de fomentar a criação de uma rede - comunidade de prática - para educação, treinamento e pesquisa destinada a apoiar o manejo de áreas protegidas no Brasil. A parceria foi consolidada entre universidades brasileiras e dos Estados Unidos da América (EUA), e agências de gestão de áreas protegidas brasileiras. Definiu-se que o objetivo primordial dessa comunidade de prática seria a colaboração entre pesquisadores e gestores de Unidades de Conservação (UC) para o desenvolvimento de pesquisas sobre a visitação nessas áreas, além de estimular a utilização de dados e informações gerados pela parceria como subsídio para o planejamento e o manejo da visitação. O objetivo deste trabalho é apresentar uma análise dos encontros desta rede, sistematizando os desafios enfrentados na estruturação e funcionamento do que se denominou Encontro da Comunidade de Prática de Visitação em Áreas Protegidas (ECPVAP). A metodologia envolveu a análise de conteúdo dos relatórios disponíveis dos Encontros. Dentre os desafios elencados nos encontros, destaca-se o estabelecimento de estratégias para uma maior conexão, envolvimento, comunicação e relacionamento entre os visitantes e habitantes das áreas de abrangência das UC. No que diz respeito às linhas de atuação da comunidade, o tema referente ao “manejo” foi a que apresentou uma maior diversidade de tópicos que devem ser trabalhados. Ficou evidente que os objetivos e a função da comunidade estão bem definidos. Contudo, os membros do grupo continuam refletindo e buscando caminhos para superar alguns desafios para executar o planejamento das ações. Com relação ao perfil da comunidade, identificou-se que há maior proporção de participantes da região Sudeste, indicando a necessidade de se ampliar a participação de pesquisadores e gestores de outras regiões do país. Constatou-se que a participação de gestores aumentou entre o primeiro e terceiro encontros, mas diminuiu nos dois encontros seguintes. Quando houve maior presença de gestores, questões sobre o manejo foram o foco. Por fim, destaca-se que dentre os temas elencados para atuação conjunta entre gestores e pesquisadores, não houve aprofundamento sobre os temas da educação e interpretação ambiental.

From the Chair

It is an honor to serve as the chair of GODORT. For those of you who do not know me, I first worked with state and federal information while at the New Mexico State Library. I left the Land of Enchantment for Big Sky Country in 2011. At the University of Montana I took on the role of regional for the first time, and fell in love with that fabulous collection. I eventually learned that the state nickname did not apply to Missoula with an inversion layer during a nasty fire season. I moved to Fargo in the middle of winter to start at North Dakota State University in 2018, just a few months before our Past Chair started.

The Power of the Symposium: Impacts from Students' Perspectives

The Air Toxics under the Big Sky program developed at the University of Montana is a regional outreach and education initiative that offers a yearlong exploration of air quality and its relation to respiratory health. The program was designed to connect university staff and resources with rural schools enabling students to learn and apply science process skills through self-designed research projects conducted within their communities. As part of the program, students develop and conduct independent projects, then share their findings at the conclusion of the school year in some type of interactive capstone experience, the most prominent being a high school symposium held at The University of Montana campus. Student feedback collected through a carefully controlled evaluation program suggest that the annual symposium as the culminating event is a critical component of the Air Toxics Under the Big Sky program, and a valuable learning experience as many of the students go on to post-secondary education. AcknowledgmentsThe authors wish to thank all the students who have participated in the Air Toxics Under the Big Sky Program, with our special gratitude toward the many dedicated teachers who have made its implementation so successful and rewarding. Funding for this project was provided by the Toyota USA Foundation and by a Science Education Partnership Award, Grant Number R25 RR020432, from the National Center for Research Resources, a component of the National Institutes of Health. The contents of this manuscript are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the officials views of our funding sponsors.

State of the Round Table

A funny thing happened on my way to becoming GODORT chair: after ten years as the regional Federal Depository Library coordinator at the University of Georgia, I accepted a new job outside of the government documents community. As of June 28, 2018, I am the associate dean of libraries for research and learning at North Dakota State University. Obviously, my new job was not on my radar when I agreed to run for GODORT chair-elect in 2017. And while I am no longer a depository coordinator, I am still tangentially involved with the depository community. NDSU is a shared regional with the University of North Dakota, and our regional depository coordinator—Susanne Caro, formerly of the University of Montana—reports to me. In fact, Susanne is the GODORT chair-elect, which makes North Dakota the nexus of GODORT for the next few years. Not bad for a state that, according to the Census Bureau, ranks forty-seventh in population!

Atlas of diatoms (Bacillariophyta) from diverse habitats in remote regions of western Canada

High-resolution LM images of diatoms from remote regions of western Canada are presented as a contribution to our knowledge of diatom floristics, ecology and biogeography in North America. Approximately 600 taxa are imaged in 132 plates. Genera with the most taxa are Cymbella (19 taxa), Cymbopleura (29), Encyonema (23), Encyonopsis (15), Eunotia (77), Gomphonema (42), Navicula (47), Neidium (20), Nitzschia (35), Pinnularia (50) and Stauroneis (34). Diatoms were collected from diverse habitats in four of North America’s major biomes: Arctic tundra, taiga, Rocky Mountains and Pacific rainforest. Many of the photographed taxa could not be identified to species and are likely new to science. Other taxa may represent new records for North America or Canada. Images of voucher specimens are keyed to individual collection sites. Detailed descriptions of the collection sites include GPS coordinates, colour photographs, vegetation, algal substrates, elevations, pH, temperature and conductivity. Samples were collected from natural substrates in fresh to brackish, flowing and standing waters. Voucher slides are deposited in the Montana Diatom Collection (Helena) and the University of Montana Herbarium (Missoula). Cleaned diatom frustules have been deposited in the Diatom Herbarium of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia.