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Page 150
Suggested Citation:"Appendix F - Glossary." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. An Ecological Approach to Integrating Conservation and Highway Planning, Volume 2. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22804.
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Page 150
Page 151
Suggested Citation:"Appendix F - Glossary." National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2012. An Ecological Approach to Integrating Conservation and Highway Planning, Volume 2. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/22804.
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Page 151

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150 A p p e n d i x F assign/cross-walk the land uses. Matching equivalent land- cover categories between two or more classification systems. baseline map. A map depicting background reference infor- mation, such as landforms, roads, landmarks, and political boundaries, onto which other thematic information is placed. A basemap is used for locational reference. biodiversity. Refers to the variety and variability among liv- ing organisms and the ecological complexes in which they occur. Diversity can be defined as the number of different items and their relative frequencies. For biological diver- sity, these items are organized at many levels, ranging from complete ecosystems to the biochemical structures that are the molecular basis of heredity. Thus, the term encom- passes different ecosystems, species, and genes. biological assessment. A document prepared for the Sec- tion 7 process to determine whether a proposed major construction activity under the authority of a federal action agency is likely to adversely affect listed species, proposed species, or designated critical habitat. categorical scale. A numeric scale based on discrete catego- ries versus a gradient of values (e.g., 1–5, low to high). coarse filter. The general conservation activities that con- serve the common elements of the landscape matrix, as opposed to “fine filter” conservation activities, which are aimed at special cases, such as rare elements. connectivity. The degree to which a landscape facilitates or impedes movement. Linkages at multiple spatial and tem- poral scales. conservation. Preserving and renewing, when possible, human and natural resources. The use, protection, and improvement of natural resources according to principles that will ensure their highest economic or social benefits. Eco-logical. Eco-Logical: An Ecosystem Approach to Develop- ing Infrastructure Projects is a guidance document devel- oped in a partnership among the Bureau of Land Management, Environmental Protection Agency, Federal Highway Administration, National Oceanic and Atmo- spheric Association, National Park Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, USDA Forest Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to encourage federal, state, tribal, and local partners involved in infrastructure planning, design, review, and construction to use flexibility in regula- tory processes. Specifically, Eco-Logical puts forth the con- ceptual groundwork for integrating plans across agency boundaries, and endorses ecosystem-based mitigation—an innovative method of mitigating infrastructure impacts that cannot be avoided. ecoregion. A large region, usually spanning several million hectares, characterized by having similar biota, climate, and physiography (e.g., topography, hydrology). ecosystem. A biological community (ranging in scale from a single cave to millions of hectares), its physical environ- ment, and the processes through which matter and energy are transferred among the components. ecosystem approach. Protecting or restoring the function, structure, and species composition of an ecosystem, recog- nizing that all components are interrelated. endangered. The classification provided to an animal or plant in danger of extinction within the near future throughout all or a significant portion of its range. Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended. Federal legisla- tion intended to provide a means whereby the ecosystems upon which endangered and threatened species depend may be conserved, and to provide programs for the con- servation of those species, thus preventing extinction of native plants and animals. endangered species. Animals, birds, fish, plants, or other living organisms threatened with extinction by anthro- pogenic (man-caused) or other natural changes in their environment. Requirements for declaring a species endan- gered are contained in the Endangered Species Act. fine filter. See coarse filter. Glossary

151 spatial analysis. The process of examining the locations, attri- butes, and relationships of features in spatial data through overlay and other analytical techniques to address a ques- tion or gain useful knowledge. Spatial analysis extracts or creates new information from spatial data. spatial queries. A statement or logical expression that selects geographic features based on location or spatial relation- ship. For example, a spatial query might find which points are contained within a polygon or set of polygons; find features within a specified distance of a feature; or find features that are adjacent to each other. special area management plans (SAMPs). The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration defines SAMPs as “plans which provide for increased specificity in protect- ing significant natural resources, reasonable coastal- dependent economic growth, improved protection of life and property in hazardous areas, including those areas likely to be affected by land subsidence, sea level rise, or fluctuating water levels of the Great Lakes, and improved predictability in governmental decision making.” stakeholder. Any organization, governmental entity, or individual that has a stake in or may be affected by a given approach to environmental regulation, pollution preven- tion, energy conservation, and so forth. watershed. The land area that drains into a stream; the watershed for a major river may encompass a number of smaller watersheds that ultimately combine at a com- mon point. wetlands. An area that is saturated by surface water or groundwater with vegetation adapted for life under those soil conditions, such as swamps, bogs, fens, marshes, and estuaries. gap analysis. A comparison of the distribution of ele- ments of biodiversity with that of areas managed for their long-term viability to identify elements with inadequate representation. geographic information systems (GIS). Computer hardware and software for storing, retrieving, manipulating, and analyzing spatial data. geospatial overlays. A spatial operation in which two or more maps or layers registered to a common coordinate system are superimposed, either digitally or on a transpar- ent material, for the purpose of showing the relationships between features that occupy the same geographic space. habitat. The physical structure, vegetational composition, and physiognomy of an area, the characteristics of which deter- mine its suitability for particular animal or plant species. landscape. The traits, patterns, and structure of a specific geographic area, including its biological composition, physical environment, and anthropogenic or social pat- terns. An area where interacting ecosystems are grouped and repeated in similar form. mitigation. Measures taken to reduce adverse impacts on the environment. natural habitat range. The geographic area a species is known or believed to occupy. restoration. Measures taken to return a site to previolation conditions. Section 7. The section of the Endangered Species Act that requires all federal agencies, in “consultation” with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to ensure that their actions are not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of listed species or result in destruction or adverse modification of critical habitat.

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An Ecological Approach to Integrating Conservation and Highway Planning, Volume 2 Get This Book
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TRB’s second Strategic Highway Research Program 2 (SHRP 2) Report S2-C06-RW-2: An Ecological Approach to Integrating Conservation and Highway Planning, Volume 2 is designed to help transportation and environmental professionals apply ecological principles early in the planning and programming process of highway capacity improvements to inform later environmental reviews and permitting. Ecological principles consider cumulative landscape, water resources, and habitat impacts of planned infrastructure actions, as well as the localized impacts.

The report introduces the Integrated Ecological Framework, a nine-step process for use in early stages of highway planning when there are greater opportunities for avoiding or minimizing potential environmental impacts and for planning future mitigation strategies.

The report is part two of a four-volume set. The other volumes in the set are:

A supplemental report, Integrated Ecological Framework Outreach Project, documents the techniques used to disseminate the project's results into practitioner communities and provides technical assistance and guidance to those agencies piloting the products.

The primary product of these complementary efforts is the Integrated Ecological Framework (IEF). The IEF is a step-by-step process guiding the integration of transportation and ecological planning. Each step of the IEF is supported by a database of case studies, data, methods, and tools. The IEF is available through the Transportation for Communities—Advancing Projects through Partnerships (TCAPP) website. TCAPP is now known as PlanWorks.

This publication is only available in electronic format.

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