DECISION SUPPORT TOOLS
The RPCCR tool identifies vulnerable stream and riverbanks that lack tree cover and shade in coldwater stream habitats. By locating the best spots to plant trees in riparian zones, resource managers can provide shade that limits the amount of solar radiation heating the water and reduces the impacts from climate change. This well-established management strategy will benefit high-elevation, cold-water aquatic communities.
The Online Visualization Tool can tell the end-user the significance/contribution of their area of interest to the whole Optimal Plan for each conservation target found within that area. This is shown in the column labeled ‘Importance of Selection to Optimal Plan’.
The NRCS Stream Visual Assessment Protocol Version 2 (SVAP2) is a relatively easy-to-use tool for qualitatively evaluating the condition of aquatic ecosystems associated with wadeable streams, that is, those shallow enough to be sampled without use of a boat.