The most up-to-date and comprehensive reference work available, Dictionary of Natural Resource Management provides a single source of definitions of natural resource management terms. It includes more than 6,000 entries, many of them illustrated and annotated, and a detailed set of appendices covering conversion factors, geological time scales, and classifications of organisms.

The lands and waters of the Mid-Atlantic Region (MAR) have changed significantly since before the 16th century when the Susquehannock lived in the area. Much has changed since Captain John Smith penetrated the estuaries and rivers during the early 17th century; since the surveying of the Mason-Dixon Line to settle border disputes among Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Delaware during the middle of the 18th century; and since J. Thomas Scharf described the physiographic setting of Baltimore County in the late 19th century. As early as 1881, Scharf provides us with an assessment of the condition of the aquatic ecosystems of the region, albeit in narrative form, and already changes are taking place – the conversion of forests to fields, the founding of towns and cities, and the depletion of natural resources. We have always conducted our work with the premise that “man” is part of, and not apart from, this ecosystem and landscape. This premise, and the historical changes in our landscape, provide the foundation for our overarching research question: how do human activities impact the functioning of aquatic ecosystems and the ecosystem services that they provide, and how can we optimize this relationship?

Voyageurs National Park (VOYA) in northern Minnesota contains significant aquatic resources including 30 lakes and numerous wetlands. This synthesis contains an integrated account of what is known about the aquatic resources of VOYA; compares VOYA resources to those of other areas; and identifies opportunities and needs for future studies and surveys. Surveys and studies in VOYA have identified fifty-four fish species from 16 families 820 vascular plant species and 7 amphibian and 3 reptile species (higher numbers probably occur). Estimates of relative abundance for phyto- and zooplankton vary among VOYA lakes and depths surveyed. The VOYA fish populations and communities have been the most intensively studied. Twenty-eight percent of VOYA wetlands are the result of beaver activity. Mercury contamination and its food-chain bioaccumulation in VOYA are of particular concern. An integrated monitoring plan is needed in VOYA to provide continuous data and information on the complex physical chemical, and biological factors that influence aquatic systems. Resource managers in VOYA will use this information to understand and explain observed changes and to predict the potential for future changes.

Abstract: Habitat is now the basis of most impact assessments and resource inventories, and it is the basis of many species management plans, mitigation planning, and environmental regulation. Habitats are relatively stable through time, easily defined in intuitive physical terms, and provide a tangible resource for negotiations and decision making. Numerous and varied methods of analyzing and reporting habitat conditions have been developed by federal, state, provincial, and private agencies. Habitat assessment approaches vary greatly among regions of the continent. The great variability in methods and an unusually wide range of practices have impeded the ability of agencies to share and synthesize information. A diversity of methods is desirable in the initial stages of a rapidly developing field, but enough time has passed to assess the state-of-knowledge and identify the best of the currently used methods and techniques. This manual is intended to provide fisheries biologists with a limited set of techniques for obtaining aquatic habitat data. The manual also describes the range of information collected and used in agency habitat analyses. Agencies planning habitat programs should review the synthesis of established and documented methods being used in North America (Appendix 1) and the planning recommendations in Chapter 2. Then, the remaining chapters should be reviewed to determine what types of habitat data should be included in the agency's program.