Abstract. Depressional wetlands are productive and unique ecosystems found around the world. Their value is due, in part, to their dynamic nature, in which water levels fluctuate in response to climate, occasionally drying out. However, many wetlands have been altered by consolidation drainage, where multiple, smaller wetlands are drained into fewer, larger, wetlands causing higher water levels. We evaluated whether current (2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010) water surface areas were greater than historical water surface areas of 141 randomly selected semipermanent and permanent wetlands across the Prairie Pothole Region of North Dakota, USA. We also evaluated whether differences between historical and current hydrology of these wetlands were attributable to consolidation drainage. For each of these wetlands, we digitized water surface areas from aerial photography during historical and current eras. Our results indicated that water surface areas are currently 86% greater in sample wetlands than they were historically and that differences can be attributed to consolidation drainage. Water surface areas of consolidated wetlands in extensively drained landscapes were 197% greater than those with no drainage and now require more extreme drought conditions to dry out. Wetlands in extensively drained catchments were larger, dry out less frequently, and have more surface-water connections to other wetlands via ditches. These factors make conditions more favorable for the presence of fish that decrease abundances of aquatic invertebrates and reduce the productivity and quality of these wetlands for many species. Our results support the idea that intact wetlands serve an important role in water storage and groundwater recharge and reduce down-stream runoff.

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The bull trout Salvelinus confluentus, a stream-living salmonid distributed in drainages of the northwestern United States, is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act because of rangewide declines. One proposed recovery action is the reconnection of tributaries in the Lemhi Basin. Past water use policies in this core area disconnected headwater spawning sites from downstream habitat and have led to the loss of migratory life history forms. We developed an adaptive management framework to analyze which types of streams should be prioritized for reconnection under a proposed Habitat Conservation Plan. We developed a Stochastic Dynamic Program that identified optimal policies over time under four different assumptions about the nature of the migratory behavior and the effects of brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis on subpopulations of bull trout. In general, given the current state of the system and the uncertainties about the dynamics, the optimal policy would be to connect streams that are currently occupied by bull trout. We also estimated the value of information as the difference between absolute certainty about which of our four assumptions were correct, and a model averaged optimization assuming no knowledge. Overall there is little to be gained by learning about the dynamics of the system in its current state, although in other parts of the state space reducing uncertainties about the system would be very valuable. We also conducted a sensitivity analysis; the optimal decision at the current state does not change even when parameter values are changed up to 75% of the baseline values. Overall, the exercise demonstrates that it is possible to apply adaptive management principles to threatened and endangered species, but logistical and data availability constraints make detailed analyses difficult.

Integration of conservation partnerships across geographic, biological, and administrative boundaries is increasingly relevant because drivers of change, such as climate shifts, transcend these boundaries. We explored successes and challenges of established conservation programs that span multiple watersheds and consider both social and ecological concerns. We asked representatives from a diverse set of 11 broadextent conservation partnerships in 29 countriesPalabras Clave: aprendizaje, escalas jerárquicas, incertidumbre ecológica, social y política, manejo adaptativo, objetivos y acciones de manejo

Climate change poses great challenges for cultural resource management, particularly in coastal areas. Cultural resources, such as historic buildings, in coastal areas are vulnerable to climate impacts including inundation, deterioration, and destruction from sea-level rise and storm-related flooding and erosion. However, research that assesses the trade-offs between actions for protecting vulnerable and valuable cultural resources under budgetary constraints is limited. This study focused on developing a decision support model for managing historic buildings at Cape Lookout National Seashore. We designed the Optimal Preservation Decision Support (OptiPres) model to: (a) identify optimal, annual adaptation actions for historic buildings across a 30-year planning horizon, (b) quantify trade-offs between different actions and the timing of adaptation actions under constrained budgets, and (c) estimate the effectiveness of budget allocations on the resource value of historic buildings. Our analysis of the model suggests that: (1) funding allocation thresholds may exist for national parks to maintain the historical significance and use potential of historic buildings under climate change, (2) the quantitative assessment of trade-offs among alternative adaptation actions provides generalizable guidance for decision makers about the dynamics of their managed system, and (3) the OptiPres model can identify cost-efficient approaches to allocate funding to maintain the historical value of buildings vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Therefore, the OptiPres model, while not designed as a prescriptive decision tool, allows managers to understand the consequences of proposed adaptation actions. The OptiPres model can guide park managers to make costeffective climate adaptation decisions for historic buildings more transparently and robustly.