1_README.TXT STATUS OF THE SIERRA NEVADA: THE SIERRA NEVADA ECOSYSTEM PROJECT By Don C. Erman, General Editor, and the SNEP Team 1997 U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY DIGITAL DATA SERIES DDS-43 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR BRUCE BABBITT, Secretary U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Gordon P. Eaton, Director For sale by USGS Information Services Box 25286, Building 810 Denver Federal Center Denver, CO 80225 (888) ASK-USGS QUICK START For those already familiar with Adobe Acrobat Reader and who have Version 3.0 or higher on their computer, go directly to the file DDS_43.PDF. This file consists for the CD-ROM title and opening pages. To navigate among the chapters on this CD-ROM, open the file TOC.PDF (Table Of Contents) at any time. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publications Data Status of the Sierra Nevada [computer file] : The Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project / Don C. Erman, general editor, and the SNEP [Science} Team. 1 computer laser optical disc ; 4 3/4 in. -- (U.S. Geological Survey digital data series : DDS-43) Computer data and program. Title from disc label. ISBN 0-607-87153-9 1. Ecosystem management--Sierra Nevada (Calif. and Nev.) 2. Sierra Nevada (Calif. and Nev.)--Environmental conditions. 3. Biotic communities--Sierra Nevada (Calif. and Nev.) 5. Forest ecology--Sierra Nevada (Calif. and Nev.) 6. Environmental mapping--Sierra Nevada (Calif. and Nev.) I. Erman, Don C. II. Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project. III. SNEP Science Team. IV. Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project final report to Congress. V. Series. QH76 <1997 00603> 333.95--DC12a 97-4537 CIP PREFACE TO THE CD-ROM The Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project Included on this disc are the complete reports of the Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project-the executive Summary, Volumes 1, 2, 3, and the Addendum. In total, the volumes contain nearly 3,000 pages of text, figures, and tables. Rather than reproduce the report exactly as originally printed, we have taken this opportunity to make modest improvements. We have corrected errata, added color to some graphics, placed illustrations, especially color plates, in their appropriate chapters, and corrected some typographical errors. We also included an extensive bibliography to the Lake Tahoe Case Study and to the Mediated Settlement Agreement for Sequoia National Forest Giant Sequoia Groves omitted in the printed version because of space limitations. No chapters were revised from the original except as noted above. Most, but not all, of the chapters were imported as digital files; a few were scanned in from the printed versions. This feature allows readers to search all parts of the report by key words except for those scanned chapters. Readers interested in the original data used in the geographic information system analysis for the project can access much of it at http://alexandria.sdc.ucsb.edu/ on the World Wide Web. Production of this version was made possible through the efforts of the U.S. Geological Survey and especially Michael Diggles of the SNEP team and the U.S. Geological Survey. Don C. Erman Team Leader INTRODUCTION The Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project was requested by Congress in the Conference Report for Interior and Related Agencies 1993 Appropriation Act (H.R. 5503), which authorized funds for a "scientific review of the remaining old growth in the national forests of the Sierra Nevada in California, and for a study of the entire Sierra Nevada ecosystem by an independent panel of scientists, with expertise in diverse areas related to this issue." This CD-ROM is a digital version of the set of reports titled Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project, Final Report to Congress published in paper form by the Centers for Water and Wildland Resources of the University of California, Davis. The reports consist of Wildland Resources Center Report No. 39 (Summary), No. 36 (Vol. I - Assessment summaries and management strategies), No. 37 (Vol. II - Assessments and scientific basis for management options), No. 38 (Vol. III - Assessments, commissioned reports, and background information), and No. 40 (Addendum). Vol. IV is a computer-based catalogue of all public databases, maps, and other digitally stored information used in the project. Vol. IV materials are listed under the SNEP name and available on the Internet from the Alexandria Project at the University of California at Santa Barbara (http://alexandria.sdc. ucsb.edu/) and the California Environmental Resource Evaluation System (CERES) project of the Resources Agency of the state of California (http://ceres.ca.gov/snep). --Cover photograph by Dwight M. Collins. DISCLAIMER This Compact Disc-Read Only Memory (CD-ROM) publication was prepared by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor the agency thereof nor any of their employees make any warranty, expressed or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed in this report or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference therein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. Although all data and software published on this CD-ROM have been used by the USGS, no warranty, expressed or implied, is made by the USGS as to the accuracy of the data and related materials and/or the functioning of the software. The act of distribution shall not constitute any such warranty, and no responsibility is assumed by the USGS in the use of these data, software, or related materials. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS This CD-ROM (DDS_43) was produced in accordance with the ISO 9660 standard and Apple Computer's hierarchical file system (HFS) standard. The minimum system requirements to use the data with the software provided on this disc are as follows: Macintosh * Macintosh or compatible computer with a 68020 or higher processor (PowerPC recommended) * 8 megabytes RAM (16 MB recommended) * Apple System Software version 7.0 or later (7.1.2 or later recommended) * 13-inch color monitor that can display 256 colors (16.7 million recommended) * CD-ROM drive * Adobe Acrobat Reader 3.0 (included on this disc) or higher or other software that can translate PDF files. If you are using Acrobat Reader 2.1 or lower, you will need to upgrade. Windows * IBM or compatible personal computer with a 386 or higher processor (Pentium recommended) * Microsoft Windows 3.1 or higher (Windows 95 or Windows NT recommended) * 8 megabytes RAM (16 MB recommended) * VGA color monitor that can display 256 colors(16.7 million recommended) * CD-ROM drive * Adobe Acrobat Reader 3.0 (included on this disc) or higher or other software that can translate PDF files. If you are using Acrobat Reader 2.1 or lower, you will need to upgrade. TO GET STARTED: On a Macintosh, double-click on the CD-ROM icon and double- click on the file 1_README.TXT. On a PC system with Windows, open Notepad or a word-processing application, change to the CD-ROM device, and open the file 1_README.TXT. In addition to the ASCII text (1_README.TXT), this disc contains Portable Document Format (PDF) files for viewing and searching the SNEP report with Adobe Acrobat Reader 3.0 or higher. To make best use of this CD-ROM, you will need to develop some familiarity with Acrobat Reader; an on-line guide is available within Acrobat Reader under "Help." ACROBAT READER AND THE SNEP REPORT: THE PDF FILES Install Adobe Acrobat Reader 3.0 if needed (see below for details). Open the Adobe Acrobat Reader application, change to the CD-ROM device, and open the file DDS_43.PDF to view the CD-ROM title and opening pages. To navigate among the chapters on this CD-ROM, open the file TOC.PDF (Table Of Contents) at any time. Within the PDF files on this CD-ROM, links (outlined text) are provided that allow you to jump to another part of the document, open other documents, change views, or display illustrations. You can jump to the CD-ROM Table of Contents (TOC.PDF) by clicking a labeled "button" that is provided at the bottom of the title page of each Volume and Section as well as on the first and last page of each of each of the chapters. Links to the World Wide Web will access the user's connection to the Internet and browser software if available. If your copy of Acrobat Reader has "File" "Preferences" "General..." "Open Cross-Document Links In Same Window" selected, you should deselect it. This will keep the main document open while you open and close other PDF files. This CD-ROM contains a full-text index (INDEX.PDX) and associated directory that is for use in searching the PDF files for words or sets of words using the Search feature under Tools in Acrobat Reader. Many images on this CD-ROM have resolutions of 300 dots per inch (dpi), which allow acceptable printing on most printers. This makes the CD-ROM more versatile although the images display more slowly than if the files were only intended for 72-dpi screen viewing. INSTALLING ADOBE ACROBAT READER SOFTWARE The ACROBAT directory on this CD-ROM contains installers for Adobe Acrobat Reader 3.0 for both Windows (PC directory) and Macintosh (MAC directory, INST_R30 installer). For Windows, a 16-bit version (RS16E30.EXE installer) is provided for Windows 3.1 and a 32-bit version (RS32E30.EXE installer) is provided for Windows NT and Windows 95. The Windows installers are self-extracting archives that open in the directory you specify. Once opened, run the Setup program to proceed. You can use the installers provided on this disc or download the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader free via the Internet from the Adobe homepage on the World Wide Web at http://www.adobe.com/ CONTENTS This CD-ROM consists of the contents of all volumes of the paper version of the SNEP report with each volume contained in a subdirectory on the disc: Summary, Volume I, Volume II, Volume III, and the Addendum. The number of chapters totals over 100 which are listed below. Summary Summary of the Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project Volume I Assessment Summaries and Management Strategies The SNEP Science Team and Special Consultants Introduction 1 Sierra Nevada Ecosystems 2 People and Resource Use 3 Institutions 4 Fire and Fuels 5 Plants and Terrestrial Wildlife 6 Late Successional Old-Growth Forest Conditions 7 Rangelands 8 Watersheds and Aquatic Biodiversity 9 Air Quality 10 Case Studies in Ecosystem Management 11 Institutional Integration 12 The Future Appendix 1 Contents of Volumes II and III Appendix 2 SNEP Science Team, Contributors, and Staff Appendix 3 Digital Geographic Data for the Sierra Nevada Region Appendix 4 The SNEP Process in Detail Volume II Assessments and Scientific Basis for Management Options (All chapters in volume II were peer reviewed.) Preface Section I: Past Sierra Nevada Landscapes 1 Reconstructing the Landscape: An Environmental History, 1820-1960 David Beesley 2 Climate, 1650-1850 Scott Stine 3 Conditions of Rangelands before 1905 William C. Kinney 4 Quaternary Vegetation History Wallace B. Woolfenden 5 Tertiary Vegetation History Constance I. Millar Section II: Human Components of the Sierra Ecosystem 6 The Public as Agents of Policy Paul F. Starrs 7 Conservation and Controversy: National Forest Management, 1960-95 Larry Ruth 8 Historical Water-Use Priorities and Public Policies David J. Larson 9 Native American Land-Use Practices and Ecological Impacts M. Kat Anderson, Michael J. Moratto 10 The Role of Indian Tribal Governments and Communities in Regional Land Management Linda A. Reynolds 11 Human Settlement, 1850-2040 Timothy P. Duane 12 Well-Being in Forest-Dependent Communities, Part I: A New Approach Jonathan Kusel 13 Well-Being in Forest-Dependent Communities, Part II: A Social Assessment Focus Sam C. Doak, Jonathan Kusel 14 Poverty in Forested Counties: An Analysis Based on Aid to Families with Dependent Children Sandra A. Hoffmann, Louise Fortmann 15 Silviculture in the Sierra John A. Helms, John C. Tappeiner 16 Effects of Silvicultural Practices and Wildfire on Productivity of Forest Soils Roger J. Poff 17 Agriculture in the Sierra Janet Henshall Momsen 18 Geology and Minerals Issues Michael F. Diggles, James R. Rytuba, Barry C. Moring, Chester T. Wrucke, Dennis P. Cox, Steve Ludington, Roger P. Ashley, William J. Pickthorn, C. Thomas Hillman, Robert J. Miller 19 Recreation in the Sierra Timothy P. Duane 20 The Role of the Public in Adaptive Ecosystem Management Jonathan Kusel, Sam C. Doak, Susan Carpenter, Victoria E. Sturtevant Section III: Biological and Physical Elements of the Sierra Nevada 21 Assessment of Late-Successional Forests Jerry F. Franklin, Jo Ann Fites-Kaufmann 22 Quality Assessment of Late Seral Old-Growth Forest Mapping Philip G. Langley 23 Sierran Vegetation: A Gap Analysis Frank W. Davis, David M. Stoms 24 Status of Rare and Endemic Plants James R. Shevock 25 Status of Terrestrial Vertebrates David Graber 26 Status of Terrestrial Insects Lynn S. Kimsey 27 Status of Butterflies Arthur Shapiro 28 Genetic Diversity within Species Deborah L. Rogers, Constance I. Millar, Robert D. Westfall 29 Significant Natural Areas Constance I. Millar, Michael Barbour, Deborah L. Elliott- Fisk, James R. Shevock, Wallace B. Woolfenden 30 Hydrology and Water Resources Richard Kattelmann 31 Status of Amphibians Mark R. Jennings 32 Status of Aquatic Habitat Types Peter B. Moyle 33 Status of Fish and Fisheries Peter B. Moyle, Ronald M. Yoshiyama, Roland A. Knapp 34 Biotic Integrity of Watersheds Peter B. Moyle, Paul J. Randall 35 Status of Aquatic Invertebrates Nancy A. Erman 36 Status of Riparian Habitat G. Mathias Kondolf, Richard Kattelmann, Michael Embury, Don C. Erman Section IV: Agents of Change in the Sierra Nevada 37 An Overview of Fire in the Sierra Nevada Kevin S. McKelvey, Carl N. Skinner, Chi-ru Chang, Don C. Erman, Susan J. Husari, David J. Parsons, Jan W. van Wagtendonk, C. Phillip Weatherspoon 38 Fire Regimes, Past and Present Carl N. Skinner, Chi-ru Chang 39 Ecosystem Responses to Fire and Variations in Fire Regimes Chi-ru Chang 40 Fire Management Policies and Programs Susan J. Husari, Kevin S. McKelvey 41 Twentieth-Century Fire Patterns on Forest Service Lands Kevin S. McKelvey, Kelly K. Busse 42 Fire Frequency Analysis of Sierra Forests Don C. Erman, Russell Jones 43 Use of a Deterministic Fire Growth Model to Test Fuel Treatments Jan W. van Wagtendonk 44 Fire-Silviculture Relationships in Sierra Forests C. Phillip Weatherspoon 45 The Influence of Insect Pests and Pathogens on Sierra Forests George T. Ferrell 46 Impact of Human Settlement on Forest Composition and Structure Joe R. McBride, William Russell, Sue Kloss 47 Impact of Nonindigenous Plants Mark W. Schwartz, Daniel J. Porter, John M. Randall, Kelly E. Lyons 48 Air Quality Thomas A. Cahill, John J. Carroll, Dave Campbell, Thomas E. Gill 49 Impacts of Floods and Avalanches Richard Kattelmann Section V: SNEP Case Studies 50 The Mammoth-June Ecosystem Management Project, Inyo National Forest Constance I. Millar 51 Ecosystems under Four Different Public Institutions: A Comparative Analysis Mark Baker, William Stewart 52 Camp and Clear Creeks, El Dorado County: Chronology and Hydrologic Effects of Land-Use Change Bruce J. McGurk, Maureen L. Davis 53 Camp and Clear Creeks, El Dorado County: Predicted Sediment Production from Forest Management and Residential Development Bruce J. McGurk, Neil H. Berg, Maureen L. Davis 54 Indexing Current Watershed Conditions Using Remote Sensing and GIS Larry Costick 55 Ecology and Management of Giant Sequoia Groves Nathan L. Stephenson Section VI: Building strategies for the Future Sierra Nevada 56 Landscape-Level Strategies for Forest Fuel Management C. Phillip Weatherspoon, Carl N. Skinner 57 Potential Aquatic Diversity Management Areas Peter B. Moyle 58 Selecting Biodiversity Management Areas Frank W. Davis, David M. Stoms, Richard L. Church, William J. Okin, K. Norman Johnson Volume III Assessments, Commissioned Reports, and Background Information Preface 1 Management of Riparian Areas in the Sierra Nevada Peter B. Moyle, Richard Kattelmann, Robert Zomer, Paul J. Randall 2 Cumulative Watershed Effects: Applicability of Available Methodologies to the Sierra Nevada Neil H. Berg, Ken B. Roby, Bruce J. McGurk 3 Indexing Current Watershed Conditions Using Remote Sensing and GIS Larry A. Costick 4 Possible Changes in Water Yield and Peak Flows in Response to Forest Management Sarah Marvin 5 Riparian Areas and Wetlands Richard Kattelmann and Michael Embury (Appendix: Management and Land Use Buffers, by Don C. Erman, Nancy A. Erman, Larry Costick, Steve Beckwitt) 6 Modeling Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecosystem Responses to Hydrologic Regime in a California Watershed Susan L. Ustin, Wesley W. Wallender, Larry Costick, Rene Lobato, Scott N. Martens, Jorge Pinzon, Qing Fu Xiao (Peer reviewed.) 7 Historical and Present Distribution of Chinook Salmon in the Central Valley Drainage of California Ronald M. Yoshiyama, Eric R. Gerstung, Frank W. Fisher, Peter B. Moyle 8 Non-Native Trout in Natural Lakes of the Sierra Nevada: An Analysis of Their Distribution and Impacts on Native Aquatic Biota Roland A. Knapp 9 Potential Aquatic Diversity Management Areas in the Sierra Nevada Peter B. Moyle, Paul J. Randall, Ronald M. Yoshiyama 10 Red Fir Ecology and Management Robert J. Laacke, John C. Tappeiner (Peer reviewed.) 11 Density Management of Sierra Nevada Forests William W. Oliver, George T. Ferrell, John C. Tappeiner 12 Regeneration of Sierra Nevada Forests John C. Tappeiner, Philip M. McDonald 13 Status of Reforestation on National Forest Lands within the Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project Study Area Mike Landram 14 Silviculture-Ecology of Forest-Zone Hardwoods in the Sierra Nevada Philip M. McDonald, John C. Tappeiner 15 Sustainability of Sierra Nevada Hardwood Rangelands Richard B. Standiford, Julia Klein, Barry Garrison 16 Forest Growth and Stand Structure at Blodgett Forest Research Station 1933-1995 Craig M. Olson, John A. Helms 17 Modeling Sierran Forests: Capabilities and Prospectus for Gap Models Dean Urban, Carol Miller (Peer reviewed.) 18 Comparison of Late Seral/Old Growth Maps from SNEP versus the Sierra Biodiversity Institute Frank W. Davis 19 An Assessment of Current Risks, Fuels, and Potential Fire Behavior in the Sierra Nevada David Sapsis, Berni Bahro, James Spero, John Gabriel, Russell Jones, Gregory Greenwood 20 Special Forest Product Harvesting in the Sierra Nevada Rebecca T. Richards (Peer reviewed.) 21 Biological Effects of Air Pollution in the Sierra Nevada Paul R. Miller (Peer reviewed.) 22 Rangeland Assessment John W. Menke, Catherine Davis, Peter Beesley (Peer reviewed.) 23 Economic Assessment of the Ecosystem William C. Stewart (Peer reviewed.) 24 Applied Ecosystem Management: Coordinated Resource Management in the Feather River Watershed Jonathan London, Jonathan Kusel (Peer reviewed.) 25 Compilation of Workshops Contributing to Sierra Nevada Assessments Erin Fleming Addendum (All chapters in the Addendum were peer reviewed.) Preface 1 A Review of Current Non-Federal Policies on Non-Federal Lands in the Sierra Nevada that affect Aquatic, Riparian, Upland and Late-Successional Biological Diversity Kurt Menning, K. Norman Johnson, Larry Ruth 2 Modeling Aquatic and Riparian Systems, Assessing Cumulative Watershed Effects, and Limiting Watershed Disturbance Kurt Menning, Don C. Erman, K. Norman Johnson, John Sessions 3 Alternative Approaches to Conservation of Late Successional Forests in the Sierra Nevada and Their Evaluation Jerry F. Franklin, David Graber, K. Norman Johnson, Jo Ann Fites-Kaufmann, Kurt Menning, David Parsons, John Sessions, Thomas A. Spies, John C. Tappeiner, Dale A. Thornburgh 4 Individual Stand Projection Under Different Goals to Support Policy Analysis for the Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project Paul Cousar, John Sessions, K. Norman Johnson 5 Methodology for Simulating Forest Growth, Fire Effects, Timber Harvest, and Watershed Disturbance under Different Management Regimes John Sessions, K. Norman Johnson, David Sapsis, Berni Bahro, John T. Gabriel 6 Initial Results from Simulation of Alternative Forest Management Strategies for Two National Forests of the Sierra Nevada K. Norman Johnson, John Sessions, Jerry F. Franklin 7 Lake Tahoe Case Study -- Master Bibliography for Lake Tahoe Case Study Deborah L. Elliott-Fisk, Rowan A. Rowntree, Thomas A. Cahill, Charles R. Goldman, George Gruell, Robert Harris, Doug Leisz, Susan Lindstrom, Richard Kattelmann, Dennis Machida, Ray Lacey, Penny Rucks, Debra A. Sharkey, David S. Ziegler 8 Mediated Settlement Agreement for Sequoia National Forest, Section B. Giant Sequoia Groves: An Evaluation -- Master Bibliography for Mediated Settlement Agreement for Sequoia National Forest, Section B. Giant Sequoia Groves Deborah L. Elliott-Fisk, Scott Stephens, John A. Aubert, Dana Murphy, Joy Schaber In the process of data compilation for the Lake Tahoe case study and for the evaluation of giant sequoia groves under the Mediated Settlement Agreement, we compiled digital bibliographies. This CD-ROM contains master versions of those datasets that we were not able to include in the printed report due to space constraints. For Lake Tahoe, over 1,200 references are contained in the ADDEND/A_C07DA directory in four formats: - Microsoft Word 6.0 (LT_BIB.DOC), - EndNote 2 database (LT_BIB.EN2), - Portable Document Format (LT_BIB.PDF), and - ASCII text (LT_BIB.TXT). For giant sequoias, over 700 references are contained in the ADDEND/A_C08DA directory in four formats: - Microsoft Word 6.0 (GS_BIB.DOC), - EndNote 2 database (GS_BIB.EN2), - Portable Document Format (LT_BIB.PDF), and - ASCII text (GS_BIB.TXT).