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Eric K Archer

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Linkages between unpaved forest roads and streambed sediment: why context matters in directing road restoration
Abstract Unpaved forest roads remain a pervasive disturbance on public lands and mitigating sediment from road networks remains a priority for management agencies. Restoring roaded landscapes is becoming increasingly important for many native coldwater fishes that disproportionately rely on public lands for persistence. However, effectively targeting restoration opportunities requires a comprehensive understanding of the effects of roads across different ecosystems. Here, we combine a review and a field study to evaluate the status of knowledge supporting the conceptual framework linking unpaved forest roads with streambed sediment. Through our review, we specifically focused on those studies linking measures of...
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Roads are often identified as sources of ecological process disruption. Roads can damage aquatic ecosystems by altering hydrologic, wood, and sediment regimes, degrade water quality, and reduce habitat suitability for aquatic biota. Often sedimentation is singled out as a premiere contributor to degradation. Over the past half century, thousands of miles of roads have been built across federal lands for a variety of purposes. In response to climate change, road restoration is considered a high priority as a means to reduce factors limiting natural processes and native species, particularly as a potential adaptation strategy to assist cold-water fish species. With an extensive road network and limited funding, managers...
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